Basic menu from reset key?

[+therealbountybob]

Just put together a BASIC games DOS 2.5 disk with an autorun.sys that runs menu.bas for the HSC Bonus Tournament. Has anyone some code (that sits somewhere that basic games are unlikely to use) that will trap the reset key, so it runs the menu file

 

If anyone want's to play in the tournament it runs for the month of April, so there's plenty of time :!:

[Fox-1 / mnx]

If you know some assembly...

 

A long time ago I coded a small thing that printed "GR.0:RUN D:MENU.BAS";CHR$(155)" to the screen (or something like that). By hooking into DOSVEC this little routine was activated each time RESET was pressed (released, actually).

 

I think it was relocatable and placed at memlo. Not sure about that but it wasn't located at page6 since many BASIC games use that area for all kind of data.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not able to find that routine in the mess called "home".

Edited April 1, 2010 by Fox-1 / mnx

[+therealbountybob]

If you know some assembly...

 

A long time ago I coded a small thing that printed "GR.0:RUN D:MENU.BAS";CHR$(155)" to the screen (or something like that). By hooking into DOSVEC this little routine was activated each time RESET was pressed (released, actually).

 

I think it was relocatable and placed at memlo. Not sure about that but it wasn't located at page6 since many BASIC games use that area for all kind of data.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not able to find that routine in the mess called "home".

Thanks, if anyone can help with this? I bet one of the magazines had a little utility somewhere

[Rybags]

makemenu.bas

 

Try that.

 

It uses the cassette buffer, so mightn't necessarily work with all programs since they might use it too.

 

Be sure to prefix the command you want with GR.0 - the menu program temporarily disables keyboard input, the GR. 0 command re-enables it.

 

So, e.g. GR.0:RUN "D:MENU.BAS"

 

Also, you're limited to 32 characters for the command string.

 

It creates an AUTORUN.SYS file on D1: so have the disk or image ready to mount.

 

The program could be changed fairly easily to just use the stack $100-$14F for the autorun program.

 

 

Also, note line 1015 in the BASIC program... if you take out the REM so that statement executes, it changes the Autorun program so that the text is hidden (same as background colour).

[+therealbountybob]

Tried this on my 130XE with a DOS 2.5 disk, creates the autorun ok, boots but loops/keeps failing to load (the menu program?) can press break and get to the ready prompt but goes to self test when type dos.

[Rybags]

OK. Fixed - I didn't actually test it on a DOS boot disk, so it had an annoying bug or two.

 

Just remember the 32 chr limit for the command, and that it's a good idea to have the GR. 0 first up.

 

makemenu.bas

[+Eyvind Bernhardsen]

POKE 580,1 makes the reset button do a cold start, would that work?

[Rybags]

Kinda pointless, since it then just wastes time loading DOS all over again.

 

I think he just wants to always run the menu if the user gets sick of a game.

[+Larry]

This is the article that I believe Rybags referred to:

 

COMPUTE! JUN 83 p254 Marshall, Thomas

"Atari Reset Run"

Technique for disabling the <RESET> button so that whenever it is pressed is simply reruns the current BASIC program.

(UTILITY)

 

It has been scanned and posted at

http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue37/atari_reset_run.php

 

Although it doesn't do exactly what you are looking for, it should be pretty easy to make it run your menu program.

 

-Larry

 

 

Just put together a BASIC games DOS 2.5 disk with an autorun.sys that runs menu.bas for the HSC Bonus Tournament. Has anyone some code (that sits somewhere that basic games are unlikely to use) that will trap the reset key, so it runs the menu file

 

If anyone want's to play in the tournament it runs for the month of April, so there's plenty of time :!:

[Rybags]

I didn't use an article - that was a quick & dirty program I whipped up at the time of posting.

 

The Compute one looks like it uses forced input... funnily enough, even when you issue a GR. 0 command, it stays in that mode of operation.

Because of that, I just used a technique of storing the RETURN keystroke and disabling the keyboard (the GR. 0 command will re-enable it).

[+Larry]

Oops! Sorry, Rybags. I obviously read something into this that wasn't there.

-Larry

 

I didn't use an article - that was a quick & dirty program I whipped up at the time of posting.

 

The Compute one looks like it uses forced input... funnily enough, even when you issue a GR. 0 command, it stays in that mode of operation.

Because of that, I just used a technique of storing the RETURN keystroke and disabling the keyboard (the GR. 0 command will re-enable it).

[+therealbountybob]

OK. Fixed - I didn't actually test it on a DOS boot disk, so it had an annoying bug or two.

 

Just remember the 32 chr limit for the command, and that it's a good idea to have the GR. 0 first up.

 

makemenu.bas

Top man, as usual